Police who went to a remote croft near Keith looking for firearms discovered a cannabis farm instead.
The raid, at Moss-side Croft on August 22 last year, did not uncover any weapons, but the remnants of cannabis plants were found, arousing suspicions, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Inside an outbuilding on the site were hundreds of cannabis plants, worth up to £81,000, and the man responsible for growing the drug – 31-year-old Andrew Savage – was arrested.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Robert Frazer that during the firearms search went to an outbuilding where they could hear humming and smell cannabis.
“There was also a CCTV camera fitted to the outside and the outhouse was locked,” Mr Weir added.
He said that police then obtained a drugs search warrant and once inside they found two large tents with a total of 101 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity.
Their total value ranged from £20,200 to £81,210.
It led to the arrest of Savage, of Cumming Street, Keith, who admitted to officers that he was growing the drug for other people.
Savage admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis and had his sentence deferred until August 14 for a background report.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty reserved his plea of mitigation until then and his client had his bail continued.